Chicken Tortilla Soup

Oh baby, this is good!  This recipe comes from my friend Lara at Feed Your Kids.  I have changed it just a little to accommodate our family & so we can have a little left over for lunch the next day!  The original recipe is here. 

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast
9 cups chicken stock
about 1 Tbsp oil (canola or olive)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and run through a garlic press
3/4 cup finely chopped white onion
4 Tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp of ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
½ tsp of pimenton (smoked paprika)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 (15oz) can corn
1 (15oz) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
½  cup masa harina flour (check the hispanic foods aisle at your supermarket)
½ bunch of finely chopped cilantro
one small can of chopped green chiles

For garnish:

Corn tortilla chips, I make my own, but you can buy the bag if you would like.  J
Grated cheese (a blend of jack and cheddar, or whatever you have on hand)
guacamole
sour cream
cilantro

Boil chicken breast in 9 cups chicken broth. (I don’t know how long this takes…maybe 30 minutes?  Just check them…..) Remove chicken breast when done, reserving chicken broth.  Dice chicken into bite size pieces

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened and translucent. Add 8 cups of the chicken stock, tomato sauce and spices and bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat and simmer while adding c chopped chicken. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove about 1 cup of the broth and place in a bowl with the masa, whisking or stirring to blend completely. Pour masa-broth mixture back into the simmering soup and allow to simmer for a few more minutes stirring occasionally, until soup is beginning to reach desired (slightly thickened) consistency. Add more broth, if necessary. Add beans, corn, chiles and cilantro. Stir gently until beans & corn are warmed and all ingredients are well incorporated and then serve!

When serving the soup, top with some grated cheese, cilantro, crumbled tortilla chips and a dollop of guacamole and or sour cream.